It’s a new year. I just finished taking pictures of hoar frost. Fairyland stuff. I’m trying to do what feels right. And you? Are you walking each day? Learning how to knit? Adding kale to your smoothies?

It’s snowing. Big fluffy flakes. You start to worry that your shrubs and winter flowering plants might suffer. The good news: Snow benefits plants. But it can also spell trouble. Here’s a comprehensive list to see how snow helps and harms plants. Plus steps you can take …

When you think of holiday dinners, does a jiggling tower of red cranberry sauce come to mind? Weird stuff that sauce. Yet Ocean Spray makes 70 million cans of it. Don’t you think there are better things to do with one of the world’s …

We love stories. They affirm who we are, and we all want affirmations that our lives have meaning. Here are 21 of my favorite photo tips to help you use holiday photos to share stories with family and friends. …

I was first to get up this morning, which meant it was my job to start the coffee. I pushed the button on the brewer, then washed a few dishes. Minutes later, I smelled coffee. Such a wonderful smell. I grabbed a mug, turned, and to my horror, …

It’s been a busy week. Our local Walmart sold pumpkins for one dollar each. I bought 12. Now what? As I researched recipes online, I came across a haunting statistic: About 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are thrown …

MARION’S “GOODNESS FROM KODIAK” NEWSLETTER

LEARN ABOUT MARION…

I’m Marion Owen. I work, relax, and love life in Kodiak, Alaska. I’ve worked on research ships, created photographs that hang in The Smithsonian, given up cheese and meat, and enjoy watching bumblebees and snowflakes. And somewhere along the line, I co-authored the New York Times bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul. I’m learning how to not do too much. To be authentic, embrace joy, and not burn the oatmeal.

CHECK OUT MARION’S ANNUAL CALENDAR

TESTIMONIALS

I love the way you write about your garden, gardening, and general goodness, Marion. Nourishing, on so many levels. Thank you for brightening my day. — Leslie

What a lovely piece, it brought a smile to my face and warmed my heart. – Lorena

Marion, you absolutely amaze me capturing these beautiful snowflakes. Until you did this last year I had no idea that they looked like this! Thank you so very much for what you do! — Linda

Marion, thank you for sharing your recipe for Chocolate Chews! I enjoy all your posts about Kodiak, including your beautiful photos. I will look forward to more plant-based recipes you might discover! — Candy

Thank you for sharing your story and beautiful photos Marion. So inspiring in the activities you mentioned as well as the importance of the “big quiet” — being at peace in nature. –Diana

Thank you for your posts over the years, and especially this positive entry. I needed to hear your kind and thoughtful words. — Rich

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WHAT IS LAGNIAPPE?

Lagniappe (pronounced LAN-yap) is defined as an unexpected gift given to a customer as a bonus, a compliment, or simply for good measure. Mark Twain wrote about lagniappe in Life on the Mississippi (1883). Lagnaippe is "a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get; a nice limber, expressive, handy word--'lagniappe'..." English speakers learned the word from French-speaking Louisianians, but they in turn had adapted it from the American Spanish word la ñapa.

Twain went on to describe how New Orleanians completed shop transactions by saying "Give me something for lagniappe," to which the shopkeeper would respond with "a bit of liquorice-root, ... a cigar or a spool of thread." It took a while for "lagniappe" to catch on throughout the country, but by the mid-20th century, New Yorkers and New Orleanians alike were familiar with this "excellent word."

So, there you have it!

ABOUT MARION OWEN

I’m Marion Owen. I work, relax, and love life in Kodiak, Alaska. I’ve worked on research ships, created photographs that hang in The Smithsonian, given up cheese and meat, and enjoy watching bumblebees and snowflakes. And somewhere along the line, I co-authored the New York Times bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul. I’m learning how to not do too much. To be authentic, embrace joy, and not burn the oatmeal.